LAS VEGAS--Lexus showed off a prototype version of its safety-focused research vehicle today at CES, and it's designed to be more aware of what's going on around on the road.
That translates to a car that's been equipped with a bevy of sensors and other technological goodies, including a roof-mounted Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) laser that can detect objects from 70 feet away.
Other additions include a trio of hi-def cameras that look out for nearby vehicles; a sensor that detects the car's speed and angle; and a GPS antenna that Lexus says can figure out which way your car is pointed even when the car isn't moving.
A five-second video clip of the prototype, a version of the company's LS 600h model, appeared on Lexus' press site late last week.
At today's presentation, Lexus said it does not have a timeline for when the car will be released commercially.
Lexus' autonomous-vehicle ambitions differ from some of its competitors, including Audi, which today announced plans for a driverless-car pilot program in Nevada. Meanwhile, tech giant Google is also currently testing a car system designed to work without a driver at the wheel.
"For Toyota and Lexus, an autonomous vehicle does not translate to a driverless vehicle, but rather a car equipped with an intelligent, always-attentive co-pilot whose skills contribute to safer driving," Mark Templin, Toyota's group vice president and general manager of the Lexus Division, said in a release about the project.
You can catch CNET's live coverage of the entire press conference here.